Comfort In the Storm
by EchidnaPower
Summary: When a thunderstorm strikes and leaves Cream quivering in fright, it's up to Tails to find a way to alleviate his crush's fears, and maybe even give her a reason to enjoy thunderstorms instead of fearing them.


**So this was a request done via a shipping meme I reblogged on Tumblr, and I do have some more coming. This just so happened to be the first one requested. The anon who asked for it wanted a Taiream fic with the theme of "storm." Here's what I came up with, hope you all enjoy it. I own nothing except the story.  
** _

Tails loved thunderstorms.

There was just something fascinating about the way lightning struck that awed the young super genius. There had been a time when he was younger that he hated thunderstorms because of the thunder itself frightening him, but once he took a scientific interest in the way lightning worked at the more mature age of eleven, that fear quickly gave way to innate curiosity.

Even now, as a particularly powerful storm wailed outside of his workshop, its powerful wind whipping the palm trees lining his runway to and fro and the rain beating down on the roof of his humble abode in the Mystic Ruins, Tails wanted nothing more than to take notes on the various shapes lightning made in the sky when it flashed and just how fast it struck and to see if there could be a pattern in where it struck.

Unfortunately, the young fox boy couldn't satiate his need to learn at this moment, as he had a much more important problem to attend to.

He wasn't alone in his workshop.

Earlier that day, Tails had received a visitor that wasn't...entirely unwelcome...

Actually, he was quite pleased when Cream the Rabbit came knocking on his door with her faithful pet Chao, Cheese by her side. They had been spending much more time together in recent months, and he was ecstatic when he found out that Cream was almost as willing to learn new things as he was...it added an extra dimension to the crush he'd developed on her.

Cream was a very pretty nine year old, and her voice had balanced out somewhat as she grew older, and she had even developed some bangs on her head to add just a little sass to the rabbit's undeniably innocent nature...just looking at her nowadays never failed to make Tails' heart beat faster.

They had been spending the day together, with Tails teaching the rabbit girl how to fly the original Tornado as she'd expressed an interest in learning how to pilot his numerous airplanes. She was just about to prepare for takeoff when the first roll of thunder rang out. The mission was immediately scrubbed, and Tails' eyes widened in excitement at the idea of being able to study the storm as he ran out of the hangar to get his notebook and a high speed camera.

Cream on the other hand, did not share that same enthusiasm. At all.

When Tails returned to the hangar to show Cream, he was shocked to find that she was missing, and a quick search of his workshop revealed that both Cream and Cheese had bolted for his bedroom, and he found the two quivering under the blankets in sheer terror.

It hadn't occurred to the young genius that Cream might not have outgrown her own fear of thunderstorms as he had.

So here he was, working in his kitchen to whip up some mugs of hot chocolate in an attempt to soothe his crush's fears while the storm roared outside. For a brief moment, he felt bitter that he was having to waste his time trying to calm Cream down instead of acquiring valuable data.

An ear-piercing shriek from upstairs after another boom from the thunder outside quickly removed that negative emotion from his heart.

Finishing up the hot chocolate by spraying a little whipped cream into hers, Tails hurried up the stairs as fast as he could without spilling any of the hot beverage, and the moment he walked in the doorway to his bedroom, he again found Cream and Cheese hiding underneath the blankets, the fabric shaking as the figures underneath trembled in fear.

His heart began to ache in sympathy for the poor girl and her pet, he remembered what it was like to be afraid of the storms. Slowly walking towards the bed, he put the mugs of hot chocolate down on his nightstand and peeked under the covers, smiling sympathetically even as Cream and Cheese's heads whipped in his direction as light invaded their makeshift shelter. "Hey, if we're gonna play hide and seek, you need to tell me first."

The rabbit girl relinquished a teary laugh and wiped her eyes before hesitantly coming out from under the covers. Cheese opted to stay hidden. "I'm sorry Tails, I didn't mean to run off like that. I-I'm so embarrassed."

Tails smiled softly and placed his hands on her shoulders, prompting Cream to look at him. "Don't be, it wasn't that long ago that _I_ was afraid of thunderstorms too, so I know what it's like to just wanna curl up under the covers and not come out until it blows over."

Cream giggled a little at that, but then another boom outside got her fur standing on end, and she suddenly found herself wrapped tightly in the arms of the fox boy who was now a head taller than she was. "It's so loud..." she whispered fearfully. "How did you manage to overcome your fear?"

"Uhh...w-well..." he cleared his throat as he slowly released his crush from his sudden embrace. His protective instincts had kicked in and now he was having to pay the consequences of a rapidly beating heart...not that he didn't want to hug her again. In the back of his mind, Tails noted that the contradictory thoughts and emotions were fascinating.

"Tails, are you still scared of them after all?"

The fox boy's eyes widened and he shook his head vigorously in denial. Apparently he'd been quiet for too long and Cream was beginning to suspect he'd lied. "It's not the _storm_ Cream, it's uh...something else." he quickly turned around and handed Cream her mug of hot chocolate, which she took with a grateful smile. "There, that should make you feel a little better I hope."

"It does," Cream took a sip and smiled up at him, a little white mustache now gracing her upper lip. "Thanks Tails."

Tails blushed. Seeing her lick the whipped cream off her lip was...extremely cute in his eyes. _"Head in the game Tails, she's really cute, but you can't let your brain shut down."_ Blinking for a moment as he regained his bearings, Tails smiled back and nodded. "You're welcome Cream," he raised a finger. "I'll be right back!" he rushed down the stairs and grabbed his equipment, mentally giving thanks that there hadn't been another roll of thunder as he rushed back to the bedroom. "Now to answer your question, the reason I'm not afraid of thunderstorms anymore is because I've taken a scientific interest in them!"

She tilted her head in curiosity. "Really?"

"Yeah! Check this out!" Tails went over to the window and set up his high speed camera, then he took a seat on the windowsill and started jotting down some quick notes before looking over his shoulder to glance at Cream. "Well what are you waiting for? Come on over here and see!"

Cream smiled shyly and made her way over to the windowsill, taking a seat next to the enthusiastic fox who was now eagerly watching the storm outside. "So...what is it we're waiting for?"

"I'm waiting for more lightning to strike," he glanced at the camera. "The camera is programmed to record just like any other video camera, but it can then replay what's recorded at super slow motion, so we can see the lightning develop instead of just seeing the flash in the sky! It's really incredible to watch!"

"I've uh...never thought of it that way before..."

Tails frowned a bit as he examined her face. He could tell she was trying to smile, but he could still easily see the fear in her eyes. Then a flash of lightning briefly caught his eye, and the accompanying thunder got him to look at her again. She had closed her eyes and flinched uncomfortably, and it made his heart ache at how truly terrified she was. "This isn't gonna work, is it?"

The rabbit slowly turned her head towards him and frowned in sadness. "I-I'm sorry Tails...I just can't do this, I'm sorry I disappointed you."

Tails mentally slapped himself for saying what he did. "No, I'm sorry Cream. I shouldn't have said that...I wasn't trying to say it was your fault or anything."

"I know," she gave a very faint smile. "It's just so _loud_...and you can never really tell when it's coming...I guess I wouldn't be a very good weather person."

"I suppose not." Tails chuckled a little, and then a thought crossed his mind...one that made his heart beat faster than it had all day. "Y'know Cream...I've been doing some studies in the field of psychology, and I actually found some very interesting information."

"Oh?"

The young genius blushed. "Uh huh...apparently, there's a method out there that can help alleviate fears substantially, one that we can do right here, and we don't even need any technology to do it."

Looking over at the fox, Cream noted that his cheeks were red, and he suddenly appeared very shy. "Are you ok Tails?"

"Y-Yeah! I'm ok!" he rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled nervously. "Anyway...the best thing we can do to help alleviate your fears is...to...hug each other." his voice trailed off near the end.

Cream blushed, she had a feeling she knew what Tails had just suggested, but since his voice trailed off at the end, she couldn't be sure. "Um...could...could you repeat that last part? I-I don't think I heard you properly."

"Hug each other!" he covered his mouth with both hands in horror after he blurted it out like that, and he quickly attempted to backtrack. "I-I mean, i-if you want to I mean, I don't wanna - I mean I can't force you to try it, it's just something I thought we could - y'know experiment with and-"

"Tails!" The fox boy gave a surprised shout when Cream cut him off, and as he panted to get some air back in his lungs, he saw a shy smile appear on her face, and he froze when she crawled over to him and wrapped her arms around his torso. "Is this how you researched it?"

"Y-Yeah...studies show that...that hugs release a hormone called o-oxytocin, which is a n-neuropeptide that promotes feelings of...of-of trust, and bonding...and they can also...soothe an individual's existential fears...which is what this will hopefully do for you." Suddenly another flash of lightning appeared, and the thunder came much faster this time and was even louder than ever, causing Cream to squeeze the boy's body in a search for comfort. Tails could feel the heat building in his whole face, and part of him felt guilty for using her fears in such a way...but, there was a way to remove that guilt. "S-S-So...did it, y'know work?"

Slowly looking up at the fox's face, Cream nodded slightly and settled back down to rest her head on his chest. "It helped a _little_...but I think it would work _better_ if you hugged me back, don't you think?"

"Y-Yeah...I guess it would, wouldn't it?" Tails' heart was beating so fast now that it hurt to feel it pounding in his chest, and with his hands trembling with anxiety, he slowly got his arms wrapped around the young rabbit's waist, and he silently gasped in a breath when she snuggled in closer as a result. "H-How's that?"

"Perfect." Cream closed her eyes and nestled into Tails' soft and fluffy chest fur, and after a few moments, she could feel her heartbeat slowing down to a more normal level. "I think it's working Tails," she said quietly. "I feel so much safer here with you."

"Really?"

"Mhmm," she nodded. "There's something about being wrapped in your arms...I can't really explain it really, it's just this feeling of security. When I'm here with you like this, I feel like _nothing_ can hurt me." Another flash of lightning and its accompanying thunder made their presence known. Only this time, Cream's flinch was kept at a minimum, as she simply settled back down and took a deep breath to soothe herself. "I think Cheese should be here too Tails, it's really helping a lot."

"Oh yeah!" Tails looked over his shoulder at the blanket, where a small lump could be seen still quivering in terror. "Cheese, come on over here!" he saw a tiny blue head pop out from under the blanket, and seconds later, the frightened Chao had flown over at speeds he'd never seen before, and he watched as Cheese settled into Cream's lap.

"How's that Cheese? Better?" Cream asked as she freed one of her hands to gently pet the small creature's head.

"Chao chao..."

Cream smiled up at Tails. "He feels better too, looks like the experiment was a success." She spent the next few moments just soothing her frightened pet, but she froze when she felt two new appendages suddenly wrap around her...two very fluffy and soft appendages. "T-Tails..."

Tails had wrapped his namesakes around the front of Cream's body, covering both her and Cheese in a soft, furry blanket. "I uh...I figured this would help Cheese feel safer! You don't mind, do you?"

The rabbit blushed as she raised her hand over one of his tails and stroked it. His fur was so soft against her fingers, and she immediately felt warmer when his tails touched her. "No," she whispered. "I don't mind at all...in fact...I kinda _like_ it."

"I'm glad." Tails smiled when Cream snuggled even closer, and he rested his cheek on the top of her head and closed his eyes as he reveled in the warmth that came from being in such close proximity with her. He faintly registered another boom of thunder outside, but at this point, the thunderstorm paled in comparison to the warm feeling in his heart. "Cream...there's something I wanna tell you."

"I like you too Tails."

The fox's eyes shot open and he took his head off hers so he could look down at her. She was smiling at him. "Y-You...but-but how did you-"

"I'm smart too Tails," she quirked an eyebrow and smirked at him. "While I didn't know anything about the _psychological_ parts of hugs up until now, it wasn't hard to tell that you were just using it as an excuse to hug me...not that I mind or anything."

"It wasn't... _totally_ an excuse," his ears drooped a bit in shame. "I _did_ have a hunch that this would help you deal with your fear of storms...but...I won't lie, I really _did_ want to hug you."

Cream smiled softly and snuggled back into his chest, wrapping both arms back around him and scooting as close to him as she could. "Well, you _did_ help me, and you helped Cheese too. I don't think I've _ever_ felt this safe during a thunderstorm before, I don't think I even feel _scared_ anymore, and it's all thanks to you."

Seeing that she truly was happy to be where she was, Tails graced her with a loving smile and placed his cheek back on top of her head as he wrapped his tails around her a little tighter, essentially creating a small cocoon of warmth and comfort. The butterflies of nervousness in his stomach had settled down, giving way to much more pleasant feelings that made him wish the storm would never end. But then again, with Cream's admission that she liked him, maybe that didn't matter anymore.

One thing was for sure though...he couldn't wait for the next time there was a storm. _"Who needs a high speed camera anyway?"  
__

 **A/N: So, what'd you think? Leave me a review and let me know your thoughts. Now I have two more stories on the way, so stay tuned ladies and gentlemen.**


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